“Why would a painting company take the time to write a blog about local mind, body, and spirit providers” you might ask? Fair question, for which there are several answers…
- Painting for 40+ per week takes a toll and the body, and we require as much – and in most cases more – maintenance to keep Just Add Paint from falling apart.
- Getting to the gym helps maintain strength, but having specialized (and sometimes 1 on 1) training with an expert is helpful for the sport-type, repetitive motion injuries we end up with (as in “my lower back is KILLING me”) from manual labor.
- Let’s be honest, we can all use a mental break from day to day stress, and these types of activities are wonderful outlets for providing this.
- We believe we have found some of the best practitioners in the business, and want to share our rolodex (or contacts for those of you born post-1990) for anyone looking for a high quality chiropractor, massage therapist, yoga instructor, or acupuncturist.
CHIROPRACTIC:
Dr Brian Becker, Becker Chiropractic in Lemoyne, PA:
If I had a dollar for every time Dr Brian has brought me back to a standing position when I thought it was not possible, I would be a rich man! Truth be told Dr Brian was the 5th chiropractor I had seen in my lifetime, and I will admit that I did not believe in the profession until I saw him. As an athlete himself, Dr Becker has undoubtedly experienced many of the injuries he has treated, and he was the first person I visited that provided me with consistent pain relief. Don’t be fooled by the crowded lobby, the facility is well staffed and you will be in and out with time to spare on your lunch break. Fellow Just Add Paint crew members Grant and Rich have also become supporters, and I will continue to recommend him (or his brother Tom if the schedule is full) to any and all staff we hire in the future. If you want a second opinion, look up online reviews or visit http://www.beckerchiropractic.com for more information on these 2016 Simply The Best Of Harrisburg Award winners.
YOGA:
Tina Stroh, Just Plain Yoga in Camp Hill, PA:
As someone who practiced and even taught self defense in a former life, it took more than a little convincing to get me to slow down enough to consider a yoga class. After all, it’s pretty much the exact opposite of lacing up the gloves and going at it in the ring with someone who is trying to take your head off. And of course merely mentioning the idea of attending something like yoga at a fight club was the subject of ridicule that could go on for years, if not decades. Wow was I surprised when I finally took the plunge!
I knew it was “meant to be” when I received a call to paint a house and later that night (my first class was under the cover of darkness in case anyone from the kickboxing studio saw me walking in) realized the call was from Tina, the owner. Coincidence? Who knows. But what I can tell you is that despite the obvious difference in pace, physicality, and style, the benefits of Yoga are very similar to that which I have experienced from martial arts. It is another form of moving meditation – and is difficult enough in it’s own way to shut your brain off and help you stay in the moment. In martial arts, this is a byproduct of trying to avoid someone punching you in the face. With yoga is a DIRECT product of focusing on staying centered, and a byproduct of trying not to FALL. Either way, breathing and thinking come easier after a session with Tina or any of the other gifted instructors she has working at her studio. For more information on Just Plain Yoga, look up this highly rated studio or check them out at https://www.justplainyoga.com. They are also Simply The Best Of Harrisburg Award winners several times over. Facebook is the best place to keep up with the schedule changes and cancellations associated with inclement weather. (For the record Tina has a pretty good right cross as well)…
MASSAGE THERAPY:
I am going to give you 2 choices here, because both of these young ladies have completely different styles, and they are both AWESOME for pain relief, sports injury, and RELAXATION in general…
Toni Donnley’s Believe In Massage, Lemoyne, PA
I first met Toni about 12 years ago when she was working at her former location on State Street. I had recently moved back to the area from Lancaster, and the main injury bothering me at the time was “guitar player’s shoulder”, caused by too many years of wearing a Gibson Les Paul while chasing rock and roll super-stardom (#failed #buthadablast). My regular practitioner typically applied less pressure than I needed to truly work out the kinks in my shoulder, so I told Toni to “err on the side of too much pressure”. I was impressed and astonished that someone so small was able to generate so much force, and ended up changing the requested pressure from that point on to “medium”. Since then I have gotten to know Toni much better, and consider her a great friend as well as someone who is an integral part of keeping the Just Add Paint crew mobile enough to “git er done“. She is one of the best in the business. For more information on the WIDE variety of techniques and modalities being offered at Believe In Massage, check out www.believeinmassage.com .
Kendra Metzger’s Integrative Bodywork Therapy, Camp Hill, PA
My friendship with Kendra goes back to our high school days at Cedar Cliff (Go Colts!), the scenic route we both took through community college at HACC, and then was re-established one day when I saw she had started her own massage therapy practice with Integrative Bodywork Therapy. I went in to say “hello, it has been a while…”, as well as support the business and see what the studio was all about. What followed was an incredible experience, and the type of excitement associated with seeing someone you know find her calling in life. Kendra has her own unique style that involves longer and slower strokes of pressure than a typical session – and this has worked wonders for untying the knots that keep my back from functioning the way it should. Not your standard massage (although she does that too), and highly recommended for injury and/or relaxation if that is your thing. Kendra recently added a new “cupping” treatment, and occasionally sponsors yoga/mediation sessions as well. The best way to keep up with Kendra’s studio is to find her on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/IntegrativeBodyworkTherapy/ .
Diem Nguyen Family Acupuncture, Carlisle, PA
In addition to all of the above, we strongly recommend Diem of Diem Nguyen Family Acupuncture. She is an artist with the very fine acupuncture needles and a master of cupping. She has successfully treated symptoms including back pain, pulled muscles, fatigue, allergies, and numerous other ailments for many of our friends and family. If you have never tried acupuncture, you will be happy to know that despite popular opinion it is NOT painful, and actually incredibly relaxing. Diem’s warm and friendly composure and calming atmosphere with which she greets new and old patients cannot help but add to the healing benefits of these Traditional Chinese Medicine treatments. If you are interested and want to learn more, check Diem’s website at http://diemsacupuncture.com/Diem_Website/Home.html .
